﻿hofpman.] 
  EXPLANATION 
  OF 
  THE 
  RED 
  LAKE 
  CHART. 
  167 
  

  

  Mi'uabo'zho 
  built 
  a 
  Mide'wigan 
  (sacred 
  Mide' 
  lodge), 
  and 
  taking 
  his 
  

   drum 
  he 
  beat 
  upon 
  it 
  and 
  sang 
  a 
  Mide' 
  song, 
  telling 
  the 
  Otter 
  that 
  

   Dzhe 
  Man'ido 
  had 
  decided 
  to 
  help 
  the 
  Anishina' 
  beg, 
  that 
  they 
  might 
  

   always 
  have 
  life 
  and 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  other 
  things 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  for 
  their 
  comfort. 
  Mi'nabd'zho 
  then 
  took 
  the 
  Otter 
  into 
  the 
  

   Mide'wigan 
  and 
  conferred 
  upon 
  him 
  the 
  secrets 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  

   and 
  with 
  his 
  Mide' 
  bag 
  shot 
  the 
  sacred 
  ml'gis 
  into 
  his 
  body 
  that 
  he 
  

   might 
  have 
  immortality 
  and 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  confer 
  these 
  secrets 
  to 
  his 
  

   kinsmen, 
  the 
  Anishina'bCg. 
  

  

  The 
  ml'gis 
  is 
  considered 
  the 
  sacred 
  symbol 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan, 
  and 
  

   may 
  consist 
  of 
  any 
  small 
  white 
  shell, 
  though 
  the 
  one 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  

   similar 
  to 
  the 
  one 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  above 
  tradition 
  resembles 
  the 
  

   cowrie, 
  and 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  of 
  initiation 
  as 
  carried 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  Mide'- 
  

   wiwin 
  at 
  this 
  day 
  are 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  enacted 
  by 
  

   Mi'uabo'zho 
  and 
  the 
  Otter. 
  It 
  is 
  admitted 
  by 
  all 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  

   whom 
  I 
  have 
  consulted 
  that 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  information 
  has 
  been 
  lost 
  

   through 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  their 
  aged 
  predecessors, 
  and 
  they 
  feel 
  con- 
  

   vinced 
  that 
  ultimately 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  will 
  

   be 
  forgotten 
  or 
  lost 
  through 
  the 
  adoption 
  of 
  new 
  religions 
  by 
  the 
  

   young 
  people 
  and 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priests, 
  who, 
  by 
  the 
  way, 
  

   decline 
  to 
  accept 
  Christian 
  teachings, 
  and 
  are 
  in 
  consequence 
  termed 
  

   "pagans." 
  

  

  My 
  instructor 
  and 
  interpreter 
  of 
  the 
  Red 
  Lake 
  chart 
  added 
  other 
  

   information 
  in 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  characters 
  represented 
  

   thereon, 
  which 
  I 
  present 
  herewith. 
  The 
  large 
  circle 
  at 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  chart 
  denotes 
  the 
  earth 
  as 
  beheld 
  by 
  Mi'nabo'zho, 
  while 
  the 
  

   Otter 
  appeared 
  at 
  the 
  square 
  projections 
  at 
  Nos. 
  1, 
  2, 
  3, 
  and 
  4; 
  

   the 
  semicircular 
  appendages 
  between 
  these 
  are 
  the 
  four 
  quarters 
  of 
  

   the 
  earth, 
  which 
  are 
  inhabited 
  by 
  the 
  Ani'shina'beg, 
  Nos. 
  5, 
  6, 
  7, 
  and 
  

   8. 
  Nos. 
  9 
  and 
  10 
  represent 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  malignant 
  man'idos, 
  

   who 
  endeavor 
  to 
  prevent 
  entrance 
  into 
  the 
  sacred 
  structure 
  and 
  

   mysteries 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin. 
  The 
  oblong 
  squares, 
  Nos. 
  11 
  and 
  12, 
  

   represent 
  the 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  the 
  inner 
  

   corresponding 
  lines 
  being 
  the 
  course 
  traversed 
  during 
  initiation. 
  

   The 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  lodge 
  is 
  directed 
  toward 
  the 
  east, 
  the 
  western 
  

   exit 
  indicating 
  the 
  course 
  toward 
  the 
  next 
  higher 
  degree. 
  The 
  four 
  

   human 
  forms 
  at 
  Nos. 
  13, 
  14, 
  15, 
  and 
  16 
  are 
  the 
  four 
  officiating 
  Mide' 
  

   priests 
  whose 
  services 
  are 
  always 
  demanded 
  at 
  an 
  initiation. 
  Each 
  

   is 
  represented 
  as 
  having 
  a 
  rattle. 
  Nos. 
  17, 
  18, 
  and 
  19 
  indicate 
  the 
  

   cedar 
  trees, 
  one 
  of 
  each 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  being 
  planted 
  near 
  the 
  outer 
  

   angles 
  of 
  a 
  Mide' 
  lodge. 
  No. 
  20 
  represents 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  outline 
  

   of 
  the 
  bear 
  at 
  No. 
  21 
  represents 
  the 
  Makwa' 
  Man'ido, 
  or 
  Bear 
  Spirit, 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  Mide' 
  man'idos, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  candidate 
  must 
  pray 
  

   and 
  make 
  offerings 
  of 
  tobacco,, 
  that 
  he 
  may 
  compel 
  the 
  malevolent 
  

   spirits 
  to 
  draw 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  Mide'wigan, 
  which 
  is 
  

   shown 
  in 
  No. 
  28. 
  Nos 
  23 
  and 
  2-t 
  represent 
  the 
  sacred 
  drum 
  which 
  

  

  